


Magic In The Air

by aquajules



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Movies)
Genre: Artist Steve, Captain America: The First Avenger, F/M, Magic, My First AO3 Post, Romanogers AU, artist, catfa canon divergence, magician, magician & artist au, magician natasha, my first fanfiction, pre serum steve - Freeform, romanogers-prompt, smolonov | pre-serum steve rogers/natasha romanov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-16 03:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15428463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquajules/pseuds/aquajules
Summary: On Bucky’s last night before he’s shipped out, he and Steve go on a double date to a magic show featuring the famed Black Widow. Steve is instantly captivated by the enchanting and mysterious magician.





	Magic In The Air

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction (don’t know if it’ll be the last), so I'm a little (a lot) nervous about how this will turn out. Several times I felt like this wasn’t worth anything and almost deleted it, but YOLO, so I (un)bravely posted it… Hopefully it’ll be received well.
> 
> Inspired by [romanogers-prompts'](http://romanogers-prompts.tumblr.com/) [post](http://romanogers-prompts.tumblr.com/post/173490854885/the-night-before-bucky-is-shipped-out-he-and), which I just couldn’t get out of my brain, so here is the product of my imagination.
> 
> Special thanks to [sleepygrimm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepygrimm) for looking this over and giving encouragement, you're the best, hun <3
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Disgust.

Disgust and obvious disappointment.

Steve could practically feel the disappointment radiating off of the slender girl standing in front of him.

Bucky had whined and begged Steve to go with him on a double date to some magic show that was in town and then dancing afterwards. _'It is my last night here, Steve.'_ Bucky had reasoned. _'Who knows when I'll be able to go dancing again.'_

Steve hadn't wanted to go on another double date, all the girls were the same. They were pretty and seemingly sweet, but outright disappointed on his physical appearance. Some even straight out left after they were introduced to him. He was tired of dating with no end results, and just wanted to be left alone. But it was Bucky's last night in Brooklyn after all, and he didn't want to disappoint his best friend; so he had forced a smile and agreed to go on the date.

Rachel Everett's lips had instantly curled up in a sneer when Bucky introduced her and his date, Dorris Greenwood, to Steve.

Steve inwardly sighed as he followed Bucky and their dates into the dimly lit club. They found four vacant seats next to each other and sat down just as the show started. The first several acts were good, but didn’t quite interest Steve that much.

After the double act had finished, a man dressed sharply in a three piece suit strode across the stage and announced: “And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the enchanting **_Volshebnik_** herself, Black Widow!”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as a young, beautiful woman danced gracefully onto the stage and bowed.

Steve sat up taller in his chair, instantly captivated.

The Black Widow’s magic was effortless and intertwined with flawless ballet moves. Everything she did flowed together seamlessly, her hands were quick yet graceful as performed trick after trick. 

Everything in the room seemed to disappear except for the enchanting magician as she performed her act with perfection. Steve felt as though the Black Widow was performing for him and him alone, several times it seemed as if she looked straight at him and smiled warmly.

Steve wished he had his sketchbook with him, his fingers itched to sketch the Russian beauty before him and attempt to capture a bit of her lively spirit with paper and charcoal.

The Black Widow’s act ended with a complicated pirouette and a flick of her wrist. The curtains closed and the crowd erupted into cheers, whistles and applause. Steve felt as if in a trance as he stood to his feet with the crowd and clapped.

After the show ended, Steve stood with Rachel by the bar near the back of the club, and watched as Bucky and Dorris laughed merrily as they twirled around the dance floor.

Steve was having a hard time making small talk with Rachel and could tell she was getting impatient with him. 

Frustrated, she finally turned towards him. "Are you gonna dance with me or just stand here all night like an idiot?"

"I can’t really dance," Steve admitted, embarrassed. "I never quite got the hang of it."

Rachel stared at him, her mouth opened then closed again before she turned on her heel and rapidly walked away from him towards the crowded dance floor.

Steve only felt semi disappointment as he watched Rachel find another man to dance with.

Sighing, Steve sat down on the nearest bar stool, and motioned for the bartender to get him a drink. Taking a few sips, he glossed over the menu before flipping it over to the backside where it was blank. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the stub of a pencil he always carried around and began to draw the mesmerizing magician that had been consuming his thoughts all evening.

Steve tuned everything out around him as he sketched. Stroke after stroke of pencil on paper, the figure on the page began to look more like The Black Widow. Steve was just finishing the shading of her lips when he felt a light touch on his shoulder.

Startled, Steve flipped the menu over and looked up into a pair of playful emerald eyes.

_‘The Black Widow._

_Standing in front of me._

_Right now._

_I must be dreaming,’_ Steve thought to himself. The Black Widow was wearing a black silk dress, paired with a ruby studded choker, a black felt hat trimmed in red lace was slightly tilted on her head and her blonde hair curled down her right shoulder. _‘She's even more beautiful up close.’_

"Hi," smiled the magician.

Steve blushed. "Hi." he breathlessly exclaimed.

"Is this seat taken?" She gestured towards the empty bar stool next to Steve.

Steve shook his head.

The Black Widow gracefully slipped onto the stool and ordered a drink.

"Sorry if I startled you," she apologized as she pulled off her lacy black gloves and set them neatly on the bar counter. "You seemed really engrossed in your drawing."

"It's alright," Steve assured her. "I tend to tune everything out when I sketch."

The bartender returned and slid her drink over. Thanking him, she turned to Steve. "I'm Natalia Romanov," she took a sip of her drink. "But you can call me Nat if you’d like."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nat," Steve bashfully smiled. "I'm Steve. Steve Rogers." He nervously bit his lip. "I..uh..I really enjoyed your show tonight, it was truly amazing. The way you danced effortlessly while performing magic was absolutely breathtaking."

"I'm glad you thought so,” Natalia grinned. “I noticed you attentively watching me during the show earlier and I couldn’t help but be intrigued and I just knew that I had to get to know you.”

_“Me?"_ Steve scoffed. "Why would _you_ be interested in _me_?"

“You seem like a good man. Charming and polite, not to mention very handsome.”

_‘Charming? Not only handsome, but very handsome?’_ Nobody had ever told him that he was charming or handsome besides his mother and on few occasions, Bucky. Steve was starting to believe that this all was a dream and he would soon wake up to the harsh reality where he was a disappointment and a seeming burden to everyone around him.

Natalia glanced down at the menu Steve had his arm on. “Could I see your drawing, or don’t you like to show your work to anyone until it’s finished?”

“Oh, um, you can see it if you really want to,” Steve replied, becoming more and more puzzled at Natalia’s interest in him and his work. He flipped the page back over to the drawing of Natalia and handed the menu to her.

“Wow,” Natalia breathed, staring down at the perfect penciled replica of herself on the page. “This is beautiful, Steve. You really are talented.”

Steve blushed and looked down at the floor and said, “Thanks, I guess. It’s nothing special really, with a little practice anyone could draw like this. I imagine that you would be a success at anything you wanted to do.”

“Well, thank you for the compliment, Steve, but you’d be surprised that I can’t exactly do anything I want to." Natalia laughed. "When I was younger, I had trouble just drawing basic shapes.”

They both laughed for a few moments until Natalia looked over at Steve and said, “Would you care to join me in a dance?”

Steve sighed, "I can't dance," he bashfully admitted. “I practically have two left feet, and I’ve never had anyone who wanted to dance with me, so I haven’t really learned how to. And I’d rather not step all over your toes.”

“I’ll teach you,” Natalia offered, standing to her feet. “And the band is playing something slow right now.”

Steve hesitated.

“C’mon,” Natalia smirked, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow as she offered him her arm. “It’ll be fun.”

Steve searched Natalia’s face trying to figure out if she had some ulterior motive, but all he found was genuine sincerity. 

"Alright," he stood up and shyly accepted her extended arm. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Natalia smiled and led him over to the dance floor. She placed his right hand on her waist and his left hand she held with her own. “Just follow my lead,” she whispered. “And try not to look down at your feet.”

Steve nodded nervously as he followed Natalia’s directions, he stumbled several times but Natalia was there to help him. As they swayed together, Steve felt his nervousness slip away little by little and was replaced with something he couldn’t quite place.

Smiling, Steve gazed into Natalia’s sparkling eyes.

Fondness.

Fondness and obvious contentment.

Steve could feel the fondness radiating off of Natalia as they danced together, and he couldn't have been happier.

 

THE END

* * *

_ (Steve's Sketch of Natalia) _

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed, I had a lot of fun writing this.
> 
> Russian Translation: волшебник (volshebnik) - charmer, conjurer, conjuror, enchanter, mage, magian, magician, sorcerer, thaumaturge, theurgist, warlock, wiz, wizard
> 
>  
> 
> Here’s [my tumblr](https://aquajules.tumblr.com/), come talk to me about Marvel and Romanogers [I’d love to make new friends:)].


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